Patricia Inacio, PhD,  science writer—

Treatment with Rituxan (rituximab) benefits patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) with either anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) or muscle-specific tyrosine kinases (MuSKs) antibodies, a study has found. Patients with MuSKs antibodies, however, may experience greater improvement, including less time to achieve remission, fewer exacerbations, and need for hospitalizations following treatment. The…

A 35 year-old man with myasthenia gravis (MG) who developed a rare lymphoma — called mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) — in the thymus gland containing “extensive” amyloid deposits is described, for potentially a first time, in a case report. The report, “Amyloid deposition in thymic extranodal marginal…

Cyclophosphamide, a medicine with immunosuppressant abilities, may be a potential short-term alternative treatment for refractory — or difficult to treat — myasthenia gravis (MG), especially in lower-income countries, a small study from Mexico reports.   The study, “Intravenous cyclophosphamide monthly pulses in refractory myasthenia gravis,” was published in The…

A first clinical trial of Descartes-08, a CAR T-cell therapy for people with generalized myasthenia gravis (GMG) by Cartesian Therapeutics, is enrolling patients. CAR T-cell therapies have shown promise in multiple cancer types, but this study is believed to be the first test of their safety and efficacy in…

UCB will add the investigational candidate zilucoplan to its therapeutic pipeline for the treatment of people with myasthenia gravis (MG), after announcing it will acquire the therapy’s developer, Ra Pharmaceuticals. Two Phase 3 trials are currently recruiting participants with generalized myasthenia gravis: the RAISE trial (…

The use of blood cholesterol-lowering medications called statins is linked to a small risk of myasthenia gravis (MG), according to a large World Health Organization database study. The study, “Statin‐induced myasthenia: a disproportionality analysis of the WHO’s VigiBase pharmacovigilance database,” was published in the journal Muscle&Nerve. Statins…

Myasthenia gravis (MG) patients who undergo thymectomy — surgery to remove the thymus gland — have a reduced risk of pulmonary infection and a shorter stay in intensive care when taken off mechanical ventilation support, called extubation, within six hours after surgery, a study suggests. The study, “Early extubation…

People with myasthenia gravis can develop psychiatric symptoms, including depression and insomnia. However, recommendations regarding safe medication are insufficient. In this case study, clinicians suggest that alpha-blockers are a potential safe therapeutic option for relieving insomnia and anxiety in a female myasthenia gravis patient. The case report, “Management of…

A new extended release formulation of zilucoplan, a potential self-administered therapy for patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), given once weekly, achieved complement 5 (C5) inhibition similarly to zilucoplan administered daily, pre-clinical data in non-human primates show. Zilucoplan, developed by Ra Pharmaceuticals, is an artificial peptide that binds to…

Although rare, myasthenia gravis can develop in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, according to a case study. The study, “Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Myasthenia Gravis: A Rare Association,” was published in The Indian Journal of Nephrology. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and myasthenia gravis (MG) are two autoimmune…